Photos by donwadkins : on the map, in Google Earth (KML)

June 11, 2006. Most of the weather on our "Inside Passage" of Southeastern Alaska was beautiful. It started raining when we got to Skagway, and because of avalanche hazard, we aborted our hike over the Chilkoot Pass.

Nice shot.

Must have been exciting. I don't ski by design, but I did once. Have you ever been up to Echo Lake on the Hurricane Creek drainage? I hiked up there in '82. Then decided to go higher to see Billy Jones Lake. What the heck, why not climb to the top of the ridge and gaze into the Lostine Canyon?

Rather than walk back down the slippery rocks, I chose to slide down a snow chute. No ice axe, of course. I got going so fast I couldn't stop, but was able to guide myself to a finger of rocks that protruded into the snow. Hit them pretty hard. My Sierra cup came off my belt, bounced twice and went over what was about a 200 foot cliff.

I was hiking alone. Left my wife and kids back at Wallowa Lake. This was a side hike that I hadn't planned. Except for those rocks, not sure anyone would have ever found my body.

Update: I looked again. The little red ballon is not at the right spot. I'm an old Air Force navigator and pretty bull-headed about my positions, but this time I was wrong and you noticed it.